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Rookie

This pick is growing on me, just hope he gets some real quality minutes and can make some plays. I still suspect he is going to at least see what he has at S come TC, but either way if the kid can get some quality time and quality reps then I am happy.

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Frey's snaps last season: 508, 48.8% of defensive snaps. Phil already said Kyle will be coming in as our starting nickel, so he'll be taking over Frey's defensive snaps. And, maybe, if he is doing well, the snap count on the nickel package will increase. With his skills, he should make our nickel package more effective against the run.

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Head Coach

With higher needs at defensive tackle and safety, and Aaron Donald off draft board just ahead of them, they take Virginia Tech cornerback

Phil Emery didn't need long Thursday night to trace his exuberance to its roots.
The Bears general manager had pulled the trigger on his top pick in this year's NFL draft, selecting Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller with the 14th overall pick. And when he came to the Halas Hall media room for his victory lap, he quickly recounted the field trip last fall that sold him on the Bears' newest defensive prize.It was a Thursday night in Atlanta. Sept. 26 to be exact.
Fuller and his Hokies were facing Georgia Tech and coach Paul Johnson's intricate version of the triple-option offense. Emery was in attendance with Bears director of college scouting Marty Barrett and national scout Rex Hogan. And as Virginia Tech delivered a defensive masterpiece in which it allowed only 273 total yards in a 17-10 win, Emery repeatedly found himself captivated by Fuller's instincts, his effort, his willingness to attack the A-gap and crash into the backfield."I knew that day," Emery said, "that that's the type of player I wanted to represent the Chicago Bears. … All-out effort. Willingness. Physicalness. Just toughness to get the job done.
"Watching that Georgia Tech game, he's crashing through gaps. Which means he had to go through offensive linemen to get to the ball. He did that and he did it repetitively. You don't see too many 190-pound guys willing to do that."
Fuller will get his formal introduction Friday at Halas Hall, already praised by Emery as a "player that is universally loved in our building," a cornerstone he hopes will bolster the secondary deep into the future.
As for his immediate role? That's a little more complicated with Pro Bowlers Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman still around as incumbent starters.
Still, the sense is Fuller can carve out a niche initially in the Bears' sub packages and on special teams. And he seemingly has the aptitude and attitude to be an eager student alongside Jennings and Tillman as he works toward a future as a starter.
"I'm definitely looking forward to coming in and learning from those guys," Fuller said.
It had been assumed for months the Bears would use Thursday's pick on a defender, eyeing a quick turnaround after the disastrous 2013 campaign. But the consensus was that the team's biggest needs were at defensive tackle and safety.
Emery acknowledged last week he had circled six players as prime options at No.14. And after the first 13 picks were made, with Pitt All-America defensive tackle Aaron Donald going to the Rams directly ahead of the Bears, Emery said he still had three of his targets available.
Presumably, that short list included at least one of the top two safeties — Louisville's Calvin Pryor and Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. But the Bears were instead magnetized to Fuller, not lured into making a cornerback vs. safety decision.
"We decided on Kyle Fuller the player," Emery explained. "That was the important thing. That's a really good player with a lot of versatility in his coverage. He's got run support toughness. There wasn't any reason not to take Kyle Fuller."
Added Fuller: "I plan on coming in and helping to rebuild the defense."
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay lauded Fuller as "a complete football player," praising his awareness and ball skills, not to mention a 38.5-inch vertical leap. McShay also credited Fuller with a smoothness to his game.
"He's calm," McShay said. "He doesn't get rattled. He knows when to take a chance, when to gamble."
Fuller may not have elite NFL speed. And he could stand to add strength to his rangy, 6-foot frame. But his length and versatility, Emery said, will allow him to excel in press man coverage or in zone, outside or in the slot. And his reliability as a tackler? Well, that has been widely noted, as evidenced by his 173 career tackles at Virginia Tech with 231/2 of those for loss.
Said Emery: "You don't see that every day. … What makes Kyle unique is his combination of length and athleticism and versatility and smarts and toughness. It's hard to find all those qualities in a corner along with somebody who has been really productive."
In the years ahead, Emery now hopes Fuller provides more attention-catching games like that one last fall in Atlanta.

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Sounds like they've had their eyes on him for quite on long time. There were highher rated prospects, but Phil decided to go his own way.

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DaBears Ditka

SuperFanDBS Writer

9. Minnesota Vikings: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA *Trade
Anthony Barr's athleticism makes him a potentially lethal pass-rusher. He is, however, raw and unrefined.
The Vikings are wise to beef up their front seven, but this was too early to draft such a raw player. Score: 7

10. Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
Paired with wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Eric Ebron's speed and ability to get deep will make the Lions' offense an even bigger threat to hit for big plays.
Still, the Lions should have made a selection to improve other areas of their team with this selection. Score: 6

14. Chicago Bears: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
Kyle Fuller is an aggressive cover man and a solid value here. After coming in last in the league in rush defense last season, however, the Bears would have been better served adding someone to their front seven.
There was worthy talent available in that area, and most notably Florida State's Timmy Jernigan.Score: 6

21. Green Bay Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has excellent range and instincts, and the Packers had a big need at safety. There is some concern given that Alabama's defensive players over recent history have not produced up to their draft status, but this was a good value and strong selection. Score: 9

Emery better hope he picked the right guy, b/c he's going to get to see HHCD 2x's a year over the next several years in GB.

5.5-6 are potential starters, 10 is the highest grade, guaranteed day 1 starters

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Veteran

I guess with Haha you gotta hope he benefited from being on a stacked team and, as they said, doesn't live up to his draft status. I was surprised he dropped that far and no one tried to hop up to get him during his slide.Coupled with Pryor going first? Does that mean he isn't what we thought he was? Or is it just a series of unfortunate events that culminated in GB getting a steal? I hope for the former but my gut says the latter of these is true.

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The Rhymenoceros

Staff Member

I guess with Haha you gotta hope he benefited from being on a stacked team and, as they said, doesn't live up to his draft status. I was surprised he dropped that far and no one tried to hop up to get him during his slide. Does that mean he isn't what we thought he was? Couple with Pryor going first? Or is it just a series of unfortunate events that culminated in GB getting a steal? I hope for the former but my gut says the latter of these is true.

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Of course he benefited from a stacked team, Bama is notorious for having a great defense. Im sure Dix will be a starter for GB, but you have to think that he simply did well in Bama because he benefited from their defense being solid over all.

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